Wire-twister



P. MAcD. BURNS. WIRE TWISTER.

APPLICATION--HLED APR. 23, 1919.

1,334,221. Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESSES ZJ 'INVENTOR A NORA/E78 P. MAcD. BURNS.

WIRE TWISTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23. 1919.

1 334,22 1 Patented Mar. 16, 1920 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIHI l-lllllllllllllllllll WITNESSES A TTOR/VE Y8 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER MAQDONALD Bonus, on SAN rnancrsoo, oALIronNIA.

WIBE-TWISTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented :Mar. 16, 1920.

Application filed April 23, 1919. Serial No. 292,007.

necting the ends of tie wires on bales,boxes,

and all other packages, containers and the like upon which tie wires are used.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient wire twisting tool which will rapidly and effectively connect the ends of tie wires and the like by comparatively few operations of a leve 1 1 Further objects are to provide a novel form of wire grippin and twisting member; to provide a simphaand efficient ratchet mechanism for driving said member; and to make novel provislon for limiting the movement of the operating lever.

With the foregoing in View, the invention resides in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective View showing the invention in use. 7

Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

Fig. 4 is. a central, longitudinal section.

Fig. 5 is a front end elevation.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of thewire gripping and twisting member. w r

Fig. 7 is a perspective of the locking dog of the driving gear. v

Briefly speaking, the tool consistsof an elongated base 1, a hollow head 2 at the frontend of said base, a wire gripping and twisting member 3 mounted in said head, a gear 4. likewise mounted in said head for driving said gripping and twisting member, and a lever 5 serving to actuate said gear; together with numerous novel features of COIiStIllCtiOD, all hereinafter described in detai f i 1 Thebase 1 may well be in the form of a straight metal bar and its head 2 is preferably formed by two vertical plates 6 secured thereto in spaced relation byscrews or other fasteners 7.The front ends of the plates 6 are provided with open throats 8 to receive the wire and immediately below said throats, with forwardly extending toes 9 adapted for passage under-the wire to guide the latter into the throats.

On their inner sides, the plates 6 are formed with circular bearing sockets 10 in which. the ends of themember 3 are rotatably received, and although said member couldwell be of any adequate construction, I preferably form the same of two end disks 11, a hub 12 connecting them, and. pins 1 3 extending between said disks to form a pinion for mesh with the gear 1. The disks 11 and hub 12 are provided with open throats 14 of a width equal to the diameter of the wire, while the throats 8, above described, must be at least twice such width iniorder that the ends of the wire may be twisted together by the member 3, without 1 cutting the wire.

The gear 4 is of the common spur type and meshes with the pins 13, said gear being mounted on a transverse bolt or other form of shaft 15 which extends between and beyond the plates 6. Two links 16 are pivoted at their front ends upon the bolt 15 and may well be tied together by an arched plate 17, and the lever 5 is located between said links, being fulcrumed between its ends to the rear ends of said links as seenat 18. The front end of the lever 5 is provided with a forwardly projecting beveled nose 19 which coacts with the gear 1 to rotate thelatter when said handle is oscillated. A. spring 20, secured to the handle 5 and resting on the tie plate 17 serves to normally throw the nose 19 into engage ment with the geard, the front endof the lever then bearing against the lowerside of said tie plate as depicted in Fig. 4.

The forward movement of the lever 5 and the links 16 is limited by the plate .17 striking the upper edgesof the plates 6, atthe front ends of the latter, and V'shaped notches 21 may well be formed in said edges to provide fiat surfaces for contact with said plate 17. Rearward movement of the links 16 and the lever 5 is checked by con- .tact of the former with the upper edges of ,and the pinion formed by the pins 13 and associated parts, is such as to cause the q in order' to prevent untwisting of the wire .on the idle-forward strokes of said lever, a

suitable dog, such as 22, must be provided.

I preferably mount the dog 22 as seen in Fig. .4, that is by providing the lower edge thereof with a notch 23 receiving a pin'24 which extends-between the two plates 6.

' 1 The nose of the dog engages-the teeth of gears and-itstailfisheld against the base 1' by a spring 25'secured to the latter. "The spring'25 permits rocking of the dog 22 as Onassis 24'.

required and serves also-to "In operation, the toes 9 are inserted-under the ends of the tie wire and thus guide such ends into the throats 8 and 14. -The handle I is nowmoved forwardly to the extent allowed, the nose 19 in-the meantime riding idly over'the teeth oflthe'gear l, against the tension of spring 20. The handle is next pulled rearwardly to the full extent allowed, the nose1f9 now serving to drive the gear '4 :to such'an extent as to rotate the member 3 one revolution, thus giving the wire one twist. Threesuch operations of thelever are usually required to twist the ends of the wire together properly, but more or' less twisting may be done if desired. After'each operating or'rearward stroke oflever 5, the dog 22 holds the gears and consequently the twisting member 3' against retrograde.

rotation. Since'the arrangement of parts is such as to aline the throats 8 and let after each operation of-the tool, 'i'tinay be easily r'einoved froin the wire. 1"

From the foregoing, it willbe seen that I havecarried out the objects'of the-invention' in an expeditious manner, and since probably thebest results are obtainable from the details disclosed, they may well be followed. "However, withinthe. scope of the: invention as claimed, numerous minor changes mavbemade, and obviously any 1e materials ma used. 7

[1. In' a wire twister, a head having a wire receiving throat a'wire twisting m'em'ber -journa'led upon said head and having" a throat {adapted to register with said "first namedfthroat, said 'wire' twisting member being formedas a gear, 'a n' oper'at'ing'gear journaled. upon "said head a and engagin 'saidiwi'r jtwi ting member; a lever pivoted npofi' said head and enga ing-said second named geaa wnerebyto efieetmtaitiemheieretain said dog pawl pivoted upon said head and engaging said second named gear whereby to prevent retrograde movement thereof.

7 2. In awire twister, a head formed as a pair of spaced side members each provided with a wire receiving throat, a wire twisting member .journaled between said side members and having a throat tor registration with said first named throat, said wire twistingmember.bein'g formed as a gear, a relatively large operating gear pivoted between said side members and meshing with said wire twisting member, a lever pivotally connected with the journal of said second named gear, a tooth on said lever ongaging said second named gear whereby to effect movement thereof in one direct-ion when said lever is il'eciprocatcd, and means for preventing retrograde movement of said second named gear 3. In a wire twister, a head having a wire receiving throat, a wire twisting member carried by I said head and consisting of a pair of spaced disks, a hub connecting said disks, and pins extending between said disks around said hub, said hub and disks having throats for registration with the throat of said head, a gear carried by said head and meshing with said pins, and means for rotating. said, gear.

4.1 In a wire twister, a head, wire twisting means carried by'said head, a gear carried by said head for operating said wire twisting means, links pivoted to said head, and

a lever fulcrumed to' said links and having a nose engaging the teeth of said gear for operating the same when said lever is oscillated.

5. In a wire twister, a head, wire twisting means carried by said head, a gear carried by sald head for operating said wire twisting means, hnks pivoted to said head, a tie plate connecting said links near their pivotedends and a lever between said links and 1 In fulcrumed between its ends thereto, said :lever having a-nose' forenga gement with the aforesaid gear torotate the same when said "lever is oscillated, pivotal movement of said lever 1n one direction being limited by said tie plate. V.

1 6. In a wire twister, a hollow head having wire twisting means therein, means for operating said wire twisting means, including'a gear in said head and a ratchet lever, 12

a pin extending across the interior of said head, a dog'coa'cting with said gear and ha'v ing in its lower side a notch receiving said pin, and a spring for said dog acting both to engage said dog with said gear and to "msmbersprovided at their front ends with wire; receiving-throats and below said 1:10

throats with tapered toes for guiding the wire into said throats, a rotary wire twisting member between said side members and having a throat for registration with the aforesaid throats, said wire twisting member having gear teeth, a gear between said side members meshing with said gear teeth, a ratchet lever for operating said gear, and a dog between said side members to hold said gear against retrograde rotation and means for limiting the movement of the ratchet lever in both directions.

8. In a wire twister, a head having side members provided at their front ends with wire receiving throats and below said. throats with tapered toes for guiding the wire into said throats, a rotary wire twisting member between said side members and having a throat for registration with the aforesaid throats, said wire twisting member having gear teeth, a gear between said side members meshing with said gear teeth, links pivoted to and extending from said side members, a lever between and fulcrumed between its ends to said links, said lever having a nose for operatin said gear when said lever is oscillated, an a dog between said side members for holding said gear against retrograde rotation.

9. In a wire twister, a head having a Wire receiving throat, a wire twisting member carried by said head and consisting of a pair of spaced disks, a hub connecting said disks, pins extending between said disks around said hub and disks having throats in register with the throat of said head, a gear carried by said head and meshing with said pins, and means for rotating said gear, said head having side members provided in their inner sides with circular sockets in which said disks are rotatably received.

PETER MACDONALD BURNS.

Witnesses:

RUDOLF WM. Peoensnn, O. A. Eeonns, E. FRANCKWERTS. 

